News stories by Busani Bafana, page 15

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Jul 18 (IPS) - Southern African countries have agreed on a multi-pronged plan to increase surveillance and research to contain the fall army worm, which has cut forecast regional maize harvests by up to ten percent, according to a senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) official.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Jun 15 (IPS) - Urban farmer Margaret Gauti Mpofu would do anything to protect the productivity of her land. Healthy soil means she is assured of harvest and enough food and income to look after her family.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Apr 10 (IPS) - Microscopic soil organisms could be an environmentally friendly way to control crop pests and diseases and even protect agriculture against the impacts of climate change, a leading researcher says.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Mar 21 (IPS) - Though key to good health and economic wellbeing, water and sanitation remain less of a development priority in Africa, where high costs and poor policy implementation constrain getting clean water and flush toilets to millions.

DUBAI, UAE, Mar 18 (IPS) - Though still fearful for her life and the safety of her family, one of the girls who escaped abduction by Boko Haram in Nigeria has appealed to global leaders to intervene and help bring back 195 schoolgirls still being held by the terrorist network.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Jan 26 (IPS) - Thanks to growing investor interest, increasing respect for democratic reforms, and its vast food production potential, the Africa Rising narrative is only getting better.

KWAZULU NATAL PROVINCE, South Africa, Nov 15 (IPS) - Bongekile Ndimande's family lost more 30 head of cattle to a ravaging drought last season, but a herd of goats survived and is now her bank on four legs.

HARARE, Nov 09 (IPS) - Four years ago, a faceless writer using the nom de guerre Baba Jukwa set Facebook agog with detailed exposes of machinations within the ruling Zimbabwe National People's Union Patriotic Front (ZANU PF).

MASVINGO, Zimbabwe, Oct 12 (IPS) - Elizabeth Mpofu is a fighter. She is one of a select group of farmers who equate food security with the war against hunger and shun poor agricultural practices which destroy the environment and impoverish farmers, especially women.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Sep 09 (IPS) - Getting just a sliver of the global trade in goods and services worth more than 70 trillion dollars, Africans have every excuse to decide to trade among themselves.